


A Series of Southern Proposals

by Butmunchr



Category: Left 4 Dead (Video Games)
Genre: Bad Cooking, Crying, Drunken Shenanigans, Ellis be beatin the shit outta his Southern upbringin, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, Marriage Proposal, Mild Blood, Nick is so awkward, Poor bb, Post-Apocalypse, but still smooth as fucc, dummy idiots, heart fisting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22631728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butmunchr/pseuds/Butmunchr
Summary: A series where Ellis runs after Nick to propose to his awkward ass. Ass included.
Relationships: Ellis/Nick (Left 4 Dead)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. Bleedin' All Over Yew

**Author's Note:**

> Different chapters have different proposals that don't correlate with one another.

It was nagging at Ellis’ mind since the first time he truly laid eyes on Nick. Now looking at his sleeping form beside him he couldn’t hold back the nerves crawling on his bare arms. It felt like the morning sun was pushing him to do it; it showed him that time was ticking. The cool air of the room weaved around him like a blanket, making his fingers go even number. That, however didn’t stop the small box in his hands from poking his fingers like sharp pieces of broken glass. It made his heart spike with adrenaline and thump in fast paced, drum like tics - just like a scared rabbit running for its skin. His predator wasn’t a wild animal, however; it was rejection. He’d spent the night, turning and tossing as if the rejection was nails under his sheets, just poking at him endlessly and making him lose his mind.

He’d run the scenario time and time again until the sun had shone through their window. In practice, it was pretty simple: wake Nick up gently, softly make out with him until he’s snugly put on the ring on his right index finger and ask him the life changing question. That was another thing too – how will it change their lives? Will it be something drastic? Or dramatic? Or will they live as they always have? Will there be a new feeling? Will that change the whole children discussion they’ve never had? Or should they get a cat? Damn, this one time Keith had found a cat under his porch, and he wanted to keep it, but the cat was a big, fat cat and wasn’t interested, so Keith had found a sausage and some cat food, but that was his great great uncle’s first ever sausage and- No, no, not the time Ellis. Nick might reject you. You need to think of a smooth backup plan.

Yet again this reoccurring discussion made space for the rejection to slip right back into his thoughts, reminding him that in real life, such gestures didn’t always go that smoothly and especially with himself. Yes, he was good as a mechanic – slow and steady he never missed a detail when fixing a car. He knew exactly which parts to touch and which bolts to screw and position strategically. When he was like that at work he always forgot how clumsy he could be the rest of the time – always dropping an object or mumbling something inappropriate or stupid. Nerves always made him spew out stupid things, like that time when he wanted to flirt with Nick and dropped a “Nice weather, huh?” in the middle of the soaking cornfield. Of course that kind of worked in his favor that time, because Nick let out a sweet little snort, but not before giving him a look he’d give a lunatic.

In short, Ellis knew he’d screw it up somehow.

Taking one last breath before chickening out completely, he put on a smile (to reassure himself or look suave for Nick he didn’t know) and leaned over his boyfriend. But as the mattress dipped under his weight Nick decided that that was the perfect time to turn around and elbow Ellis in the nose. The cruel move made Ellis see white spots for a moment as he backed away sharply. The blood didn’t gush in one smooth flow, instead hindered by Ellis’ trembling hands. He could see Nick’s confused, sleepy expression from his peripheral vision, but it was quickly getting erased by the moisture pooling in his eyes. Everything was happening chaotically fast and his senses were going into overdrive, but there was something screaming in Ellis’ increasingly panicking brain – _the ring_. Desperately grabbing at the sheets he felt the whole room spin and looking down everything was blinded by blood. Thoughts of Nick getting mad at him for bleeding on his sheets and the fear of fainting drove him to launch himself out of the bed and stumble into the bathroom.

Nick in the meantime groaned as his eyes stung with sleep. He sat up lazily and called a sleepy “Are you ok, cupcake?”, seeing a trail of blood leading to the bathroom. He sought the source of this early disturbance, and it wasn’t long before his eyes fell on his lap and everything stilled. _Oh._

There lay a small, a little too familiar box. Everything felt dulled for a moment, his senses of sound and touch deciding to stop their duty so that he can solely focus on the small box in front of him. He pulled out his arms from under the sheets, as a strange numbness crept up his body. Taking the box delicately as if it was made of glass, he opened it and there lay a small golden ring nestled into the satin cushion. Nick’s heart picked up a rapid pace and he couldn’t even feel getting out of the bed and walking to the open bathroom door. Nevertheless, he was right now standing before a very distressed hick holding the bridge of his nose in a vice-like grip. Ellis looked like a deer caught in the headlights, his face soaked in a deep shade of shame. His gaze was rooted at Nick’s feet and the ex-conman could feel Ellis wanting to turn back time and forget this ever happened. The anxious waves radiated from the smaller male like the heat from a heated asphalt. Visibly easing out of his panicked daze, the southerner instead fully gave in to the shame, removing the wet digits from where they were perched on his red nose and began mumbling a weak excuse with a strained voice: “Nick, yew don’t need tah…”

“Ok.”

Startled more by the northerner’s calmness than the actual answer, the mechanic’s gaze snapped to the taller man’s face. His eyes glistened with hope at the kind smile pulling at his boyfriend’s lips. Taking a deep breath, the northerner reached forward, shining the box in his direction.

“You going to stay there all day or you going to put this ring on your fiancé?”

The shorter male couldn’t believe it was really happening. He made sure to pinch his thigh slightly, earning a bonus snort from his amused partner. Realizing this was real, Ellis’ face cracked into a goofy smile so sweet it could melt the whole of Antarctica. Lightly shaking the residue nerves dancing on his arms, he took the offered box and gently pulled the delicate piece of gold from between its nest. Taking the northerner’s hand, he threaded the ring through his index finger. Right at that moment, his whole body felt full of electricity and he couldn’t lift his head to meet the other’s eyes. Luckily, he didn’t need to as Nick bent down and slowly started bringing his face to his level with small, sweet kisses.

With his whole body still getting zapped by evaporating anxiety, he excitedly tip toed and put his arms around Nick’s neck, pulling him even closer. Nick on the other hand securely wrapped his arms around his lower back and nipped at Ellis’ lips, wanting to deepen the kiss. Ellis obliged, letting the northerner take control and expertly slide his tongue inside his mouth. The older male snorted into the kiss making their teeth click together gently.

“What?”, Ellis asked confusedly.

“Morning breath.”

“Now that’s jus’ shady.”

Snorting one last time the northerner gave a few more pecks in rapid succession and buried his head in the crook of the smaller man’s neck. Breathing deeply both men could feel their body expand with a new elevated feeling. So that answers Ellis’ question then; but maybe they can get a cat too. He’d have to bargain with Nick after breakfast about it. As if reading his mind, the hick’s stomach made its demand known by letting a loud howl.

“Is that the National Emergency Alarm?”

“Yeah, King Kawng is comin’ tah steal yew frawm me. He’s jealous.”

The comment made Nick return to his original posture and snicker good–heartedly.

“Well, sweetheart, let’s make sure your stomach doesn’t give away our position.”

A second loud gurgling sound echoed in the bathroom, making Ellis snort.

“Aah guess Aah’m not the only one givin’ away our posishun.”

Nick sighed.

“Let’s just go eat some taters, heehaw.”


	2. Are Those the Eggs or Mah Heart Burnin'?

The yellow color was seared into his brain and he could feel the pan handle leaving a permanent imprint on his palm. He knew he was creating some kind of PTSD for himself, but he had already come so far – he couldn’t give up now. Every time he’d spill some of the eggs or slip the spatula in the wrong direction, he’d feel overwhelmed and sick. Thoughts were buzzing around his head like bees: how should he present the question? Before or after breakfast? Should he put the ring in the eggs? Wait, will Nick choke? Will he choke if Nick chokes? Will they die from choking? Should he propose while they’re choking in case someone kicks the bucket?

His whole body felt taut and the pressure was putting a tight strain on his lower back. He felt more like a mannequin on display than a man in soft pajamas. The mechanic had stopped paying attention to his body’s complaints hours ago however, too focused on the task at hand. Ellis had been concentrating on his current job of making scrambled eggs for nearly three hours now, even though it could’ve been longer considering he stopped paying any mind to the clock some time ago. 

In his current state of mind, when a pair of arms wounded around his middle, he jumped like a startled horse and felt his shoulder make contact with something hard. The mechanic turned around sharply and immediately felt the guilt pool in his gut. Nick was standing behind him with a quite amused expression, holding a hand to a what Ellis suspected was a bleeding brow. 

“Lordy be, Nick, Aah’m so sorry!”

“Hey, don’t worry about it.”

“Naw, jus’- lemme help.”

Now, Ellis was never known as the smartest guy, but what he did right at that moment topped all of the stupid things he’s ever done. Feeling around the large front pouch of his hoodie he hastily pulled out what he thought was a tissue, but he couldn’t be more wrong as he shoved the small, precious box he, oh, so wanted to be kept as a surprise in his partner’s face.

In the silence that followed, the only thing that could be heard was the small sizzling coming from the pan as the two males stared at the box between the hick’s fingers. The smaller male could feel his whole body chill, the anxiety making cold sparks dance inside his chest. With his curls like a wild nest and eyes as big as plates, other times he would have found the scene almost comedic, but right now it was the worst thing that could’ve happened to him. Moving his lips like a fish on dry land, Ellis’ brain couldn’t take it and decided to shut down completely, leaving him to heave and wheeze internally like a smoker after a sprint.

Nick wasn’t doing so good either – his head was trying to take on the shape of a question mark. His gray eyes bored unfocusedly on the questionable object – it seemed as if a lighting would shoot out of them and pierce the box in front of him. If his brain hadn’t shut down minutes ago, Ellis would’ve almost been worried as the northerner’s chest had seemed to stop moving also.

The mechanic’s soul didn’t make a part of his body anymore, instead deciding on floating above his head and casting a chilling shadow on the whole room, making everything under its wings freeze for an eternity. If there wasn’t a floor under his feet, he was sure he’d fall through it.

Just as fear started charring the corners of his vision the smoke detector decided to let out its wild screech. Ellis’ brain, with the sound penetrating deep into his bones, activated the animalistic, blind fear in him and instinctively made him jump on the nearest surface. It ended up being no other than his treelike companion.

The sound brought Nick into action too, and with the small hick still wrapped safely around him, got into the task of getting everything back in order. He removed the charred eggs from the stove setting them on the counter next to it. Subsequently, methodically took their trusty broom from the side of the fridge and pressed the almost invisible white button blinking on the small device.

With everything settling into an utter silence once and for all the taller male could finally feel just how hard the hick was squeezing his waist. It felt like he was trying to go inside him and become an extension of his body. Looking down, an almost apologetic smirk settled onto his unshaven face – the mechanic was obviously quivering, awaiting Nick’s rejection. The older male wasn’t stupid – he knew Ellis was about to propose. He also knew how hard a proposal could be and even more how painful the rejection could stab at your heart.

Knowing how clumsy the southerner usually was, his heart melted at the sight of Ellis trying to cook breakfast. The hick was an utter disaster in the kitchen, more than once threatening to burn down the whole place by making a salad. Such a gesture spoke a lot about how he wanted to please the older male even if it brought great stress to him.

Nick immediately knew something was wrong the moment he saw the hick hunched over the stove from where he first walked through the door. The smell of eggs had woken him up hours ago and when it didn’t let on after a while, he knew Ellis has gotten himself into some trouble again. He should’ve known to make his presence known beforehand, but the painful strain on the hick’s back made his heart ache a little, so he decided to surprise him and, well, things escalated from there. Now, standing in a bitterly smelling kitchen with a throbbing brow and his small boyfriend wrapped around his body like an anaconda, he did the only thing sensible – he gave his final answer.

“Yes.”

The northerner felt slight movement against his chest, like the kind a cautious deer would make. Two blue orbs peered at him unsurely, disbelief making them glisten like tiny stars. Visibly mortified, the southerner opened his mouth uncertainly, but closed it again, too gripped by fear to dare ask. Nick spared him any further discomfort by softening his smile and repeating an even clearer: “Yes.”

What followed next almost melted the floor Nick was standing on – the smaller male squeaked in utter delight and a broad, uncontrollable grin spread across his entire face, lighting the room like the sun at dawn. He opened and closed his mouth rapidly unable to form any coherent sentences, instead succumbing to his delight and burying his face into the crook of the slightly scratchy neck. Legs tried kicking behind the northerner as small puffs of air tickled against his neck.

The unexpected wetness that followed this happy outburst, however made ice form in Nick’s gut. The bitter sobs tore him apart and he worriedly tried detaching himself from the hick and looking at his face. Ellis didn’t let him though, forcing his explanation through a choked up weep:

“Aah was so afraid yew’d decline.”

Muffled hiccoughs made the ex-conman’s chest tighten painfully. Carefully, he lifted his right hand and started brushing the messy curls in hopes of comforting him. Lowering his voice a notch he softly murmured into the mechanic’s ear, trying to drive away the worried thoughts bouncing inside the hick’s thick skull. He never thought he’d start his morning in such an adventurous way, but he sure wasn’t regretting it. After all, he’s got this gorgeous, although crying, hick in his arms. After a minute or so the northerner decided to settle things down.

“Ok, that’s enough you dumbass.”

He pulled at Ellis’ hair a little, chuckling at Ellis’ embarrassed noise of displeasure. A puffed face looked at him timidly, suddenly very shy. The mechanic was still hiccupping slightly, sniffing wetly. His eyes locked with the bleeding wound and worry shined through his distress. Visibly cringing, the smaller male lifted his hand and thumbed the slit brow carefully.

“Aah’m sorry… Does it hurt?”

Smirking, Nick shook his head.

“Nah.”

The obvious lie made a small smile adorn Ellis’ tear stained face.

“Yer such a liar.”

But before Nick could retort, the mechanic remembered the cause of this morning disturbance and hid his hand behind the northerner, reemerging with the tiny box. Fiddling with it for a moment he opened it with an unsure edge and presented it to the northerner while peering at him through thick eyelashes. Silently asking a question he already knew the answer to, he awaited a yet another confirmation. Nick rolled his eyes to high heavens sighing.

“Did the fumes of those eggs give you brain damage or something?”

A snort left the puffy lips.

“Maybe.”

Snickering, the taller male leaned towards the hick determinately.

“You fucking serious? Yes,” he placed a kiss on puffy lips, “yes, yes, yes, yes!”

With every exclamation came a kiss as a proof that made the redneck lean back and try to hide his overwhelmed expression.

“Where do you think you’re going, _mis-ter_?”

Short playful pecks became big, slow and sloppy. The northerner nipped at the soft lips that went pliable against his. A magnetic field settled around their heads, as every attempt to pull away pushed them even closer. It was like their lips were swimming in molasses – they moved in sticky, lethargic movements, hardly parting apart. Ellis felt opiated and couldn’t- _didn’t_ want to pull away to breathe.

Just as his lungs were starting to burn, Nick pulled away, deciding on latching onto his neck instead. The unremorseful, wet bites and lack of oxygen made the smaller male feel shocks running up and down his spine and he let himself melt like an ice-cream on a rock. As his heart stopped its loud barrage the mechanic just started to realize the high pitched wheezes he was letting out as his desperation was increasing.

That morning, however, the northerner was in the mood of being a cock block, ending the make out session with a few more pecks and setting the hick down gently. Ellis’ legs felt like jelly and he had to bury his head in the other’s chest till he calmed down. Nick snorted at the display and Ellis felt the vibrations against his forehead. The mechanic felt lucky for not being able to smell the burned eggs as the smell would’ve probably made him nauseous considering his stress and how hot their mini make-out session had been. Ellis would’ve regretted throwing up on Nick, but he had the small suspicion Nick would’ve been even more remorseful. Usually if the mechanic threw up it always found a way to land on his boyfriend. The thought made him let out a small snicker.

The smaller male began moving side to side establishing a calm, gentle swing and the northerner went with it, the couple rocking side to side in the middle of the kitchen. It was nice being like that. Such intimate moments always opened the couple to conversation. While Ellis would usually babble about a car or a client or another, Nick would just hold him comfortably and listen. But it seemed the northerner wanted to be a little bit more active today.

“How long?”

The mechanic’s muffled voice came through with a crack at the beginning.

“Ah… a few years now Aah guess.”

The northerner let out a thoughtful noise.

The rocking continued on for a few more moments. Ellis had actually started dozing off a little, but a confession from atop his head startled him awake.

“I knew you’d planned it.”

The southerner looked up, startled, almost knocking the taller male in the chin. There was a sly smirk playing on the other’s face. Ellis’ mouth started moving on its own as his brain was still trying to process his thoughts, resulting in him stuttering like a motorbike.

“W-h-n-wh-lo- “

That made the northerner let out a loud snort and the southerner’s face became beet red.

“Now don’t git sassy with me now or Aah might jus’ take this here ring away from yew.”

After the northerner continued to snort, the smaller male let out a sigh in vague annoyance.

“How bout we grab us sum grub?”

“Mm, looks delicious, honey.” The northerner let out, still chuckling.

Ellis pouted and playfully punched Nick in the chest.

“Shut up, Nick.”


	3. Choked Up

“Mmph… Jesus… Fuck… Nicky!”

Broad steps echoed on the carpet.

“Yah?”

“Gimme these here plates, Aah kint reach ‘em.”

Reaching from behind him, the northerner got a hold of the white dishes.

“You’re such a shorty, I love it.” The taller male chuckled, then pressed a kiss to his partner’s hair.

“And yer one shady son’a’ve bitch, yew know that?”

After a small exchange of playful kicks, Nick was gone, leaving Ellis to his duty. It wasn’t the first time the southerner had to set the table, but it was special tonight – it was their fifth anniversary of being together. Both men could feel the atmosphere shift when the sun settled down and the busy city left its mist after the long, busy day. Words became quieter, touches became softer, glances stayed for longer… With everything feeling so intimate, Ellis knew that this was the night he wanted to propose.

His stomach, however, had decided on housing a circus within it and the anxiety-ridden tingling was spreading through his entire body. Rearranging the plates over and over in his stressful stupor, his hands wouldn’t cease their insistent trembling. His head was pulsing and his eyes were going in and out of focus. Nervous sweat had started to penetrate his armpits, bringing with it that annoying itchy sensation. The southerner had been planning the proposal for years now; sleepless nights and incognito research being his evidence. He wanted for everything to be perfect, but his usual clumsiness didn’t give him much confidence – more than once did Nick look over his shoulder during his research and he had to slam the laptop in his partner’s face almost cracking the screen. This had earned him near death sentence glares and weird pauses that he would nervously refute with a simple “Porn.” and reluctantly be left to his antics. It was a miracle Nick hadn’t pinned him down and demanded an explanation till now, because as much as the smaller male thought he was stealthy, in reality that probably wasn’t the case.

Luckily for him, there was another aspect making tonight the perfect opportunity for his endeavors – the couple had been snowed in and now had to rely on leftovers and candle lights till the next morning, giving him the perfect opportunity to do this at his own pace and not be pressured by the busy environment of a fancy restaurant. He wasn’t afraid of Nick breaking up with him out right. Yeah, maybe getting uncomfortable and possibly avoiding his gaze for a few days, but the southerner was sure he won’t be getting a slap to the face – it would’ve otherwise killed him right there and then.

The painful thought lodged into his chest as he went over his strategy once again in his head. It consisted of slipping the ring into Nick’s food while the older male wasn’t looking and watching him stare in awe at the reveal. He could almost feel the explosion of emotions that would go off in the northerner’s eyes and the thought made his stomach make an excited somersault. Letting out a quiet sigh, the short male felt confidence hesitantly trickle into his veins and he leaned into the feeling with closed eyes. Even so, there was still a tiny voice in his head nagging him with the possible choking hazard, which amplified his stress all over again, leaving him completely choked up.

Discreetly, the smaller male leaned onto the counter trying to make the room to stop its insistent spinning. If the counter was a boat railing, he was sure he would topple over and fall into a sea of panic. All the blood in his body felt cold and thick as bile bubbled in his stomach. Mustering all his strength, he tried to keep his voice neutral as he called out to his boyfriend:

“Nick, kin yew, uh- kin yew finish here? Aah need tah use the bathroom real quick.”

Before he could get an answer, he stuck the ring randomly into a plate and rushed to the small room. Once inside, he locked the door hastily and preemptively leaned over the sink ready for the upcoming purge of his stomach. He couldn’t even feel the contracting of his abdomen, because of the burning, ripping its way up his throat. Forcing it down was out of the question and the yellowish bile didn’t stay in his system for long, instead clinging to the bottom of the white marble. The pungent smell attacked his nostrils and he heaved once again, even though there was nothing left to expel.

Turning the tap on its fiercest setting he let the cold water wash away the disgusting puddle and fill his brain with white noise. His head felt heavy as he lifted it up to take a relatively clean intake of air.

_‘Come on dude, yew have tah calm down. Don’t ruin everythin’ ‘cause of some stupid nerves.’_

Splashing some water onto his face and gargling his mouth and throat, the mechanic then put on a hesitant smile for the mirror and went back to the table where his partner waited.

Nick looked up from his side of the setup and scrunched his eyes judgingly at Ellis’ unnaturally pale complexion. His jittery posture and distracted gaze showed the ex-conman that something was crawling its way from deep inside the younger male. He wanted to bring it up, but was afraid of scaring the mechanic away. During their time together, Nick did notice all those sudden laptop searches, weird gazes thrown his way and muffled conversations with his mother from the other room. It obviously has been just a matter of time before the southerner broke down fully and spilled his guts all over the bathroom sink. Weighing his options, the older male decided on proceeding with slow, strategic caution and getting a proper resolve by the end of the night.

“Are you… ok?”

A flash of unusual panic crossed his partner’s eyes before quickly being covered by mere surprise. Grabbing the wine bottle, Ellis sat down with a puff of airy laugh and busied himself with uncorking the tap.

“What’re yew talkin’ aboot? …Aah’m perfectly faan!”

He was definitely not.

“There we go!” The smaller male exclaimed, clearly forced, picking up Nick’s glass and filling it up.

Filling his also, Ellis set the bottle down and proceeded to gulp in long, thirsty swigs trying to drown his nervousness; although ineffectively. He was almost done and reaching for a second when Nick chimed in amused.

“So, you’re gonna give a toast or…?”

Coming to a choking stop, the other’s face filled with color. Showing his face from his glass hideout he forced a humorless smile at the survivor.

“Oh, yeah, definit’ly, sawry.”

The other’s smirk made Ellis’ stomach flip wildly and he could see the slight tremors coming from his wrist as he lifted his refilled glass.

“For us.”

“Fer us.”

A gentle clink echoed in the room, making both men treasure the moment forever in their memory. The realization thereof made the southerner’s brain shortcut and drown in the rest of the suffocating anxiety. Bouncing his leg under the table, he rooted his gaze on their plates and tried to discreetly take deep breaths, even though with his heart nestled deep into his ear cavities and drowning every sound in loud thumps, it made it impossible to hear what he was currently doing. For all he knew he could be wheezing and wouldn’t even know about it. By the worried looks Nick was throwing at him, he probably was.

“Shall we begin?” Nick asked reluctantly, already lifting his fork.

A small nod was the only thing the mechanic could give at the moment and deeming it sufficient enough picked up his fork also.

The couple never talked at the beginning of their suppers, except if there was some kind of conversation they were continuing from beforehand. Usually, a few bites in the mechanic would start his usual babble about work and then spiral into all kinds of stuff. Now, that they were past a few bites, he could sense the ex-conman’s eyes come up yet again in search of his. Ellis’ mouth felt like it was on fire and his face was covered in a blanket of fever. He was probably sweating too. He had to start talking now about whatever before Nick started asking questions. The younger lifted the corners of his mouth inadequately and opened his mouth to speak when something strange suddenly occurred to him – it wasn’t Nick’s stare that made him feel hot and feverish; it was the food. More specifically – Nick’s _only_ spicy food.

The actions seemingly tumbled one after another in a flash of keychain reactions: Ellis felt the ring sliding down his throat, tried to excuse himself, felt the object get stuck and started choking. His boyfriend was next to him immediately, patting his back urgently. The smaller male coughed with all his might, but felt as weak as a kitten. The blood in his face was dancing and making his veins throb painfully. All he could do was let out squeaky sounds with every forceful intake of air. On the brink of passing out he felt two strong arms wound around him and a fist lodge just above his navel before getting pulled off the ground. His back cracked and the place behind the fist got tucked just under his ribs cruelly. The only thing the smaller male could do was hold on for dear life. After the third pull his throat shot the ring, making it land with a gentle clink onto the kitchen tiles.

Ellis wheezed and heaved heavily while the room was pulling him in different directions with invisible threads. Nick faithfully stood behind him, supporting all his weight. The mechanic could feel the watchful gaze hiding behind him and observing him carefully, while calculating the meaning behind his every breath. After being sure he won’t faint, Ellis closed his eyes and leaned back against the strong chest. One of the northerner’s hands found itself in his hair and started brushing gently. Ellis let the embarrassment of his near death experience get diminished by the pleasurable touches. The scratches on his scalp were making tingles travel up and down his back, melting it as they went. In just a few moments, the mechanic was fully relaxed, letting small noises slip past his lips. The older male buried his nose into his hair, breathing in deeply.

The northerner pulled a chair and guided his partner to sit onto it. Ellis suddenly felt sleepy, exhausted by the accident. Still, an unpleasant feeling crawled up his spine when Nick crouched next to the ring. The ex-conman picked it up, ignoring the food it was dirtied with entirely, and froze. The mechanic’s heart throbbed painfully as Nick turned to him, his gaze now rooted to the smaller male. His partner’s eyes swam with emotion like Koi fish in a pond on a rainy day. Ellis’ face burned and his head felt light. He opened his mouth uncertainly, the words lodged into his throat. Forcing them only made his throat constrict tighter and he looked at the floor, all energy instantly sapped from him. The smaller male could feel his lips tremble like leaves, but he had to know what Nick’s answer was.

“W-Will ya marry me?”

Looking up was harder than he expected and it was his turn to freeze when a smirk adorned the stoic man’s face.

“You’re such an idiot.”

Smiling uncertainly in return, he let out a breathy:

“Is that a yes?”

The taller male got up from his crouched position and let the tap water run over the dirtied jewelry in his hands. When he finished, he put it on his index finger showing its glinting to the southerner proudly.

“It damn right is.”


End file.
